So it would appear as though Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin have ascended to the top of the list for the next Batman. The moody pair are apparently both deemed grumpy and good looking enough to play the mega-rich benefactor-cum-superhero when he next appears, probably in Man of Steel 2 when they’ll be fighting Henry Cavill’s Superman.

But who should it be?

Ryan GoslingRyan Gosling ready for a fight in Only God Forgives

The public’s choice would probably be Gosling; he’d certainly bag the female vote, having emerged as this decade’s indie pin-up kid with appearances in Blue Valentine and Drive. Another thing entirely, though, is if he’d accept the role.

He’s talked before about franchise roles and how they limit freedom, and franchises don’t get much bigger than Batman. In fact, the only bigger franchise is probably Star Wars, and he’s been linked to that, too.

Gosling’s rise to stardom has seen him play some superhero-esque roles, saving Irene in the hopelessly overrated Drive and avenging his brother’s death in the critically slated Only God Forgives. Batman seems like the natural step in his career, but will he sign up?

Brolin – most recently seen in the trailer for Spike Lee’s remake of Old Boy – is likely to jump at the chance to play the winged hero. He wouldn’t, however, be the public’s immediate choice.

Josh BrolinBrolin's in line for the Batman job

Sure, he may please some of the more refined cinema-goers and comic book fans after his performances in No Country for Old Men, Milk and True Grit, but Batman isn’t a niche legend anymore; the Dark Knight trilogy was a mainstream juggernaut. For that reason, Brolin would probably come a close second to Gosling in the public vote, but the studio might take Brolin’s experience and cheaper price and think: ‘here’s Batman’.

Watch the Only God Forgives trailer: